Russian TIR ban threat
Page 13
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
by Karen Miles • Hauliers travelling to Russia could face massive disruption from next year if a threat by the country's customs to ban all TIR operators is carried out. The Russian Federation wants individual governments to stump up financial guarantees which its customs could draw on if it believes a foreign haulier is attempting to underpay duty. If governments, including the UK, fail to pay by January, the Russians have said they will ban all TIR traffic.
The International Road Transport Union is currently attempting to persuade the Russians to abandon their plans.
Last week at a two-day IRU meeting in Geneva, members of the employers' body heard Russian Customs' claims that foreign hauliers—mostly eastern European—are failing to pay the correct levels of duty on imported goods. UK hauliers are considered legal operators by the Russians.
Mike Freeman, head of the Road Haulage Association's international department, says he does not think the Russians will be able to cut off all TIR traffic because the domestic population will not allow it.
"We are hopeful that the Russians won't bring in their changes," he says.
The Russians continue to operate a blacklist of hauliers which they say owe the country duty. In the summer about 40 operators were on the list; none was from the UK.